The 2022 Gladiator diesel is offered in five different trims with the base trim being Willy’s Sport trim hence features plenty of amenities as standard. The Sport S and Overland trims add a few more functions while the Rubicon offers a handful of creature comforts. The High Altitude trim gets all the bells and whistles but all the trims get a four-wheel-drive drivetrain as standard with a manual Hi-Lo gear selector. 

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If venturing off the tarmac and into the wilderness is one of the major reasons to get a Jeep Gladiator, then Rubicon is the obvious trim to go for with the massive 33-inch tires. To the more budget-minded buyers, Overland trim is the one to go for. 

2022 Jeep Gladiator Diesel Crew Cab Release Date

Jeep is yet to announce the release date of the 2022 Gladiator but as is the case with most manufacturers, expect it to reach the showrooms by fall of 2021. 

Although the diesel powertrain costs considerably more than one would expect, the 3.0-liter EcoDiesel turbocharged diesel V6 engine under its hood is paired up with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Both add $4,000 and $2,000 respectively to the basic trim prices. The engine is rated to produce 260 hp and 442 lb-ft of torque, all of which are sent to all four wheels through a 4-wheel drive system with a manual Hi-Lo gear selector.

The performance from the base engine is pretty quick needing just over 7 seconds to achieve 60 mph on the speedo. The diesel does the 0-60 mph in 7.2 seconds too and covers the quarter-mile drag strip in 15.5 seconds. The payload capacity is rated for over 1,300 lbs while the Gladiator can tow a maximum of 6,000 lbs which is much lower than the 7,650 lbs from the gasoline powertrain. 

Similar to the Jeep Wrangler, the Gladiator is bouncy on the road and the steering feels vague, the Gladiator no doubt excels when venturing into the wilderness. There are different drive modes on offer to better suit the tricky situations but the 4WD drivetrain is an old-school part-time 4WD unit and does not feature a 4WD High mode for the tarmac. The off-road focussed Mojave does not get the diesel and will be dearly missed. 

The Jeep features a larger diesel engine under its hood and also has a higher engine output which results in superior acceleration performance but struggles in the hauling and tugging section. The Chevrolet Colorado is much more affordable in nature and offers a much higher towing capacity, while the GMC Canyon shares its powertrain with the Colorado, it is much pricier due to its premium nature. 

The utilization of the old-school 4-wheel drive system means that in spite of the diesel engine, the Jeep Gladiator gets pretty ordinary fuel efficiency ratings. The EPA rates the 2022 Gladiator diesel for 24 mpg combined which together with the 22-gallon fuel tank offers well over 500 miles on the highways while also returning over 400 miles even in the city traffic conditions. 

Both the Chevrolet and GMC’s Colorado and Canyon have a marginally more frugal powertrain as compared to the Gladiator but then employ a slightly smaller gas tank which adversely affects driving range. Therefore, all the three trucks in this comparison offer a very similar driving range as one another which is roughly around 500 miles of combined city and highway driving. 

The similarities with the Jeep Wrangler are seen in the cabin of the Gladiator with the flat dashboard housing a touchscreen interface and all the major controls along with the removable roof and doors. It also gets drain holes and a waterproof starter button as standard and overall the cabin is pretty basic as the lower trims feature cloth upholstery and urethane steering wheel while the higher trims get leather for both. 

The difference between the premium feel of the higher trims and the rudimentary nature of the lower trims is huge. So much so that the base trim comes with manual cranking windows and manual outside mirrors. As we go higher up the trim ladder, features like dual-zone climate control, voice commands, premium door panel fabric inlays, and various other technological features make their way.

In terms of space, the front is pretty decent with a good amount of headroom and legroom to accommodate average Americans pretty easily. At the rear, the legroom is more than enough to fit in most people rather comfortably and is the best in the segment. The cargo capacity is pretty low at just over 35 cu-ft with no long bed available, but there is plenty of cabin storage space available to store all the stuff that one might need on an adventure ride. 

The Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon offer a much more spacious front seat than the Jeep Gladiator while the Jeeps offer a far more spacious rear seat. Headroom is also better inside the cabin of the Gladiator while the GM trucks offer more space in their bed with a larger bed also on offer, while the Gladiator owners will have to settle just with the standard bed. Some of the features in the 2022 Jeep Gladiator Diesel Crew Cab are:

• Bucket Front Seats w/Manual Driver Lumbar
• 60-40 Folding Split-Bench Fold Forward Rear Seat
• Tilt/Telescoping Leather Steering Wheel
• Voice Activated Dual Zone Front Automatic Air Conditioning
• Premium Door Trim Panel
• Two 12V DC Power Outlets and one 120V AC Power Outlet

How intuitive is the 2022 Jeep Gladiator Diesel Crew Cab’s infotainment unit?

The diesel trims thankfully do not get the base 5-inch infotainment screen and instead features the larger 7-inch unit, while the higher trims get the 8.4-inch head unit with UConnect interface as standard. Lower trims can opt for this infotainment system with the optional Premium Audio Group Package.

Though both of them do not offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility while navigation, HD Radio, and SiriusXM Traffic are all optional. The basic audio system is pretty average in terms of performance and is better to opt for the 552-Watt Alpine audio system from the options list. Some of the infotainment features are:

• 8.4-inch UConnect 4C infotainment system
• 9-speaker 552W Alpine Premium Audio System
• Bluetooth Streaming Audio
• Voice commands
• Smart Device Integration

The exterior design of the Jeep Gladiator is one of the most iconic and distinctive features in the pickup truck industry with its resemblance to the Wrangler seen right away. The seven-slot grille, round headlights, square taillights, and the ability to remove the doors and roof are all reminiscent of the quintessential Jeep designs and designers seem to have intentionally opted for this look to attract the Jeep fan base. 

The Gladiator is available in only one cabin style and the Sunrider folding soft-top is standard while hard-top options are also available. Most trims get either the 17-inch or 18-inch wheels and only the top trim rides on the 20-inch gloss black wheels that look really stylish with the available bright paint schemes. The off-road-focused Rubicon features 17-inch wheels with the massive 33-inch off-road specific tires and skid plates for care-free off-roading. 

The exterior designs of both the Colorado and Canyon are very generic to the pickup truck designs and that is where the Gladiator stands out of the crowd. It is also larger and rides much higher even in its standard avatar. There it is also heavier than the other two. That being said, the GM trucks offer more modernity which is clearly missed with the Jeep. Some of the exterior features in the 2022 Jeep Gladiator Diesel Crew Cab are:

• Automatic Aero-Composite Headlamps
• Convertible w/Fixed Roll-Over Protection
• Power Heated Side Mirrors
• Side Steps
• Black Wheel Well and Side Windows Trim
• 20-inch Gloss Black Aluminum Wheels

Since its launch back in 2019, neither the Jeep Gladiator hasn’t undergone the hammer at either the NHTSA or the IIHS. Also, it does not feature many of the safety features and driver aids that most of its rivals offer as standard. Therefore, if safety is of utmost importance for you, the 2022 Jeep Gladiator might not be the ideal offering. 

That being said, there are various other safety functions along with a host of airbags all around to ensure some level of safety in day-to-day driving conditions. Jeep also employs smart technology like the different drive modes to make sure the Gladiator never really gets into trouble. Some of the most prominent safety features available are:

• Electronic Stability Control (ESC) And Roll Stability Control (RSC)
• Dual Stage Driver And Passenger Front and Seat-Mounted Side Airbags
• Airbag Occupancy Sensor
• Tire Specific Low Tire Pressure Warning
• ParkView Back-Up Camera

2022 Jeep Gladiator Diesel Crew Cab vs Chevrolet Colorado Crew Cab Diesel

The Chevrolet Colorado is the most popular truck in the midsize truck segment due to its low pricing and high dependability. The Gladiator is opposite in both the parameters as it is much pricier and has questionable dependability and safety standards. At the same time, for the added price, you get to have much more fun in the mud, sand, and rocks with the Jeep and it also offers a lot more customization options for the adventure junkies. 

2022 Jeep Gladiator Diesel Crew Cab vs GMC Canyon Diesel Crew Cab

The GMC Canyon diesel crew cab is priced very similarly to the Jeep Gladiator but both these trucks are very different in nature. While the Canyon offers impressive towing and payload capacities while also being more frugal, its cabin is far more premium and has plenty of technology and creature comforts on offer. The Jeep on the other hand obliterates the competition when off the tarmac and its cabin is very easy to maintain after spending time in the slush. 

The 2022 Jeep Gladiator may not be the best midsize pickup on offer in the country but while the rival brands offer just a rugged-looking off-road version of their pickup truck with bare minimum goodies, Jeep goes all the way to offer a truck that can do almost everything that a Wrangler can do in a pickup body style. The diesel power mill adds efficiency to the mix to the already vast range of customization possibilities that Jeep offers right off the factory floor with the Jeep Gladiator.